


Acceptance

by marie_roget



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon divergence - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Characters ages might differ a little from canon, Draco remained single after the war, M/M, Not Underage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 12:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19273036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marie_roget/pseuds/marie_roget
Summary: Harry Potter tries to be an accepting parent. Draco Malfoy tries to be accepting of his own feelings.





	Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally meant to be Harry/Draco, but the story decided differently. This Albus turned out to be the most awesome and fiercest of characters - and he wanted Draco for himself.

 

**1**

 

Albus was a sensitive, strange boy full of quirks and idiosyncrasies, and from early on Harry had to learn that the only path to his son's heart was complete openness and honesty. Anything else made the boy close up like a shell.

  
Harry had always meant to be a liberal father when it came to his children, but James and Lily were Potter-Weasleys through and through and Harry hardly had any trouble communicating with them. Albus, however, was a bit wild, a bit unpredictable, a bit mysterious and a lot eccentric - Harry wondered, not for the first time, whether his son’s namesakes had somehow anything to do with how the boy turned out to be. And so he had studied a lot of parenting books, taken a lot of advice from Hermione and was always extra careful not to be judgmental or demanding with his middle child. It was prudent and good that he had, because after the boy had left home for Hogwarts, the challenges soon began.

 

Just after the first day away from home, Albus sent him an owl:

 

“Dad, I have to tell you something: I’ve been sorted into Slytherin. I knew the sorting hat would put me there, but I didn’t ask it not to. I sort of felt that I belonged there - the Gryffindors were too loud, the Hufflepuffs too meek; the Ravenclaws were OK, I suppose, but the Slytherins were just so cool. I hope you understand. Love, Albus.”

 

Harry took a deep breath. He had given Albus a pep-talk before his leaving for Hogwarts telling him how it was totally OK to be sorted into any of the houses, including Slytherin, but even so it shocked him to the core to know that Albus - a Potter and a Weasley! - had really been sorted there. But then he reminded himself of Peter Pettigrew and this undeniable truth: character had nothing to do with talents. So he wrote back:

 

_Albus,_

 

_I think it’s great that you’re happy in your new House. I hope you make a lot of friends and have a wonderful time in Hogwarts. People might give you a hard time for it because Potters and Weasleys mostly get sorted into Gryffindor, but from birth you've always had your own way to do things, so don’t let anyone get you down. I love you. Dad._

 

And so the first years of Hogwarts went by. Even in Slytherin, Albus was a bit of a loner - his housemates were not entirely comfortable with his surname or his quirkiness - but Albus didn’t seem to mind much; he had always been an introvert who loved reading. Sometimes, Albus still surprised his father with unusual revelations (like how he really liked potions, or how he thought quidditch was a bit ridiculous - “ _don’t tell Mom_!”), but all in all things went smoothly for a while. Until fourth year, when Harry got another unexpected owl:

 

“Dad, I have to tell you something. A girl from Hufflepuff tried to corner me for a snog in Hogsmeade yesterday and I didn’t like it very much. I’ve actually never wanted to snog a girl, but… I think I wouldn’t mind if the Head Boy snogged _me._ So I think I probably like boys more than girls, and I think I might try testing out that theory sometime this semester. I hope you understand. Love, Albus.”

 

Harry took a deep breath. Thoughts of grandchildren unborn and muggle prejudice and taunting came to his mind, but he decided that this was very important for Albus and Harry had no right to dump his expectations and fears onto his son. Acceptance was everything. He answered back right away:

 

_Albus,_

 

_There’s no problem whatsoever in preferring boys to girls. Go ahead and have a go at the Head Boy, just be careful if you decide to take things further than a snog. We can talk more about this when you’re back for the holidays. I love you. Dad._

 

And so it went. During the holidays, Albus told him that, though the Head Boy apparently didn’t like boys at all, a fifth-year from Ravenclaw had been a willing subject to Albus’ experimenting. And so it was confirmed that he definitely preferred boys to girls. Harry had, by then, come to terms with his son’s sexuality and tried to have a sincere conversation regarding safety spells and precautions, but Albus said he already knew about all that and that he needn’t worry. 

 

Fourth and fifth years went by. Albus was more and more dedicated to his potions, though Arithmancy was quickly becoming another favorite subject. He was participating in Slug Club for its final year, since Slughorn was retiring for good. He sometimes snogged smart boys from Ravenclaw and had a small group of female friends in Slytherin. He also went to Rose’s Quidditch matches to cheer for whatever opponent she had that day just to tease her. 

 

Then, three months into Albus’ sixth year, another owl came by:

 

“Dad, I have to tell you something. I’m freaking out, and I have no one to talk to. I think I’m in love. He’s so intense, and sexy and smart. He is a bit older than me, and I don’t know how to approach him. I think about him all the time, and I have _dreams_. I can’t look him in the eye, but when he’s not looking at me I can do nothing but stare. I need help! I hope you understand. Love, Albus.”

 

Harry let out a relieved breath. Every time an owl came from Albus on a weekday he knew there was a sudden revelation coming on, but this was just a sincere cry for help. James hadn’t come to him at all for advice regarding these things, so he was proud and happy that Albus trusted him enough to do so. He wrote back:

 

_Albus,_

 

_To fall in love for the first time is a difficult and sometimes terrifying feeling, but it happens to all of us. Everyone goes about this in their own way, but I think that the path to someone’s heart always involves being honest and sincere. If you really like this boy, then let him know - you don’t have to make a declaration, but you can show it with your eyes, try to talk to him, engage him in some activities together, ask him to go to Hogsmeade together. From his reactions you will know if he also likes you or not. Either way, enjoy - it’s not always that we are in love, and it’s a wonderful and wild ride. I love you. Dad._

 

Surprisingly, Albus sent back an owl in response to this saying “You’re right, Dad! I might be a Slytherin and go about it in more cunning ways than you suggested, but I think I also have a bit of a Gryffindor’s bravery from you and Mom, so I’ll go ahead and be earnest and truthful about it. Thanks! Love, Albus.”

 

Harry was immensely curious about the ways his son would go about wooing this smart mysterious boy, but he held out until the holidays to ask him. When they met on the Hogwarts Express platform, Harry could tell that there was something very different about Albus - he was distracted and sometimes smiled to himself. He thought maybe his son’s crush would be hanging around the platform, but Albus gave no indication of that, staring into the distance. When he tried to talk about it, his son didn’t give a lot of details. Albus said _he_ (and then his eyes would glaze over) was not exactly welcoming of Albus’ attentions at first, but that, after some insistence, agreed to help Albus with his potion assignments, and that they spent some time in the dungeons working together. Albus made a lot of mistakes out of nerves for the first few times, and was even called ‘an idiot, just like your father’, but after a few weeks Albus got more comfortable around his crush and they actually got to talking and found out that they got along very well. Albus said he was already preparing himself for some serious seduction starting next term, but that he was already very happy with the relationship they had developed.

 

Harry had wanted to ask more about this boy’s identity (he supposed he was a Slytherin, to call the Chosen One an idiot), but it seemed that Albus was being purposely vague about it, so Harry decided to drop it. Maybe he was a relative of a Death Eater or someone Albus felt Harry would not approve. But he trusted his kid and knew that if things got really serious, Albus would eventually let him know. 

 

Sixth year ended and Albus went back home in low spirits. Harry got him to talk about it and, as expected, the intense-smart-sexy older boy was the reason for his son's wistfulness. Albus said that all of his subtle and crafty attempts at seduction had failed: they were met first with incredulity, then coldness and then, as Albus toned down his advances, with distant and polite affection, as if Albus was still a child. Despite his failures, Harry could see that his son was becoming deeply attached to this person, for now his son didn't talk about how sexy and smart mystery guy was, but instead went on about how 'he doesn't like to be seen as kind, so he puts up a cold façade, but once you get to know him, you see the loneliness and the sadness andlearn how caring and funny he can be, in his own way'. Harry had believed that the other boy was a seventh year and maybe Albus wouldn't see him anymore, but apparently he would still be at Hogwarts the following year, so he must be a fellow sixth-year, just a few months older than his son.

 

Harry became a bit concerned and went to talk to Ginny about it. She thought that Albus had always been a little too intense and that it was natural that, once he thought someone was special, he would probably give out his all to them. But she agreed with him that, though eccentric and slightly naive, their son was a good judge of character and should be left to deal with the situation without interference.

 

During the next months, Harry met with his son a few times in Hogsmeade, and he noticed that not only Albus was becoming a strapping young man, taller than Harry already, but that he also seemed more subdued, thoughtful - like he was becoming wise beyond his years. The shadow of unrequited love still hung about him, but gentle advice for him to move on was met with humor and disbelief: “You don’t understand, Dad. He is so awesome, so talented, so attractive. He is miles beyond anyone else. And we get along so well, it’s unreal. I want to be with him all the time.”, Albus said with tears in his eyes. Harry was really impressed. Either Albus was the greatest romantic Harry had ever seen or he really had a special connection to this boy, like Hermione had felt for Ron since the beginning. But even if mystery boy was slowly breaking his son's heart, Harry couldn’t find fault in his behavior so far: apparently, he simply did not feel the same attraction to Albus and was trying to gently but surely let his son down.

 

Finally, after the N.E.W.T.s of seventh year, there suddenly came another owl:

 

“Dad, I have something to tell you. Since I am already of age and soon leaving school, I decided to go on and confess my love - officially, so to speak. He is a teacher so it's possible that you will end up hearing about it from him. Please, please, please don't freak out. I think there's a 94.3% chance that I will be rejected, despite my being convinced that he really cares about me. My age and being your son are great hurdles, I suppose. But I don’t care; he is the most incredible person I’ve ever met and I already love him very much. I hope you understand. Wish me luck! Love, Albus.”

 

_A teacher???!!!!!_ Harry could not believe how stupid he had been for not figuring that one out. Albus always talked about his crush in vague ways, and Harry knew that, for Albus, saying someone was "a bit older" meant he could be either 18 or 56. He flooed Ginny at the Prophet immediately.

 

'Harry, what is it? I have a deadline and things are crazy over here.'

'Ginny, you know that I don't really follow the comings and goings of the teachers at Hogwarts, so... do you know who replaced Slughorn in Potions last year?'

'Harry, come on, you know this already - we were out with Ron and Hermione that day we got sloshed to celebrate your promotion and she mentioned that your ex-nemesis was teaching our children now?'

‘No, I don’t remember that. What do you mean my ex-nemesis? Like Voldemort or something?’

'Well, no, it’s not Voldemort - obviously. It's Draco Malfoy.'

 

**2**

 

Acceptance. Acceptance. Acceptance. Harry kept repeating this word over and over in his head but it was useless, as images of Malfoy spending hours and hours in the dungeons doing Merlin-knows-what with his son invaded his mind. He was enraged with fury; he wanted to _sectumsempra_ the pompous git all over again. How dare he seduce his son in this way??? Albus was too naive and had probably not noticed being targeted by Malfoy, probably for revenge purposes. Harry had to act quickly before Albus went on with his 'confession'. He sent an owl to Headmistress McGonagall asking for an urgent meeting with the new potions master.  

 

The next morning, Harry was waiting at McGonagall's office for Malfoy to appear.

 

"Minerva, really? Malfoy? Are you crazy?” His rage had slightly decreased, but not much. 

 

"Harry, I assure you the new potions professor is well qualified and has thoroughly proved himself to be a changed person from the boy you knew. I too was reluctant to give him the position in the beginning, but he came to us with a raving recommendation from Professor Slughorn's colleague in France, Monsieur Froipeau, and has so far proved to be an excellent and most attentive teacher, very popular and well liked too, although I suppose most of his admirers are not so concerned with his professional qualifications. I'm very surprised that your son Albus has not mentioned this: he has such a talent for Potions that Malfoy agreed, against his own wishes and as a personal favor to me, to give the boy extra classes to prepare him for an apprenticeship next year. Truly, I expected you to be a lot more involved in your son's education."

 

Harry took this admonishment humbly. For his part, he had such faith in Hogwarts and its merits that he had never cared to know about who the new teachers were. Considering Lockhart, Quirrell, Umbridge and frigging Malfoy, he clearly should have.

 

A knock came from outside the door and Malfoy silently let himself in. Harry took a good look at him and suddenly his son's crush on the ponce became a lot more understandable: unlike Harry, who dressed like a dad and had the tired look of a man who struggled to manage a physically demanding job and a large family, Malfoy looked barely past his 30s. He had grown out his hair and had it tied back in a stylish ponytail. He had also grown a short full beard that was a shade darker than his hair and softened up his pointed chin. His figure was still tall and wiry, accentuated by robes that were fitted, crisp and sort-of posh, which reminded Harry unpleasantly of Lucius. His face was serious and withdrawn, lacking the sneer that was all too familiar. Harry supposed he did look attractive, for a bloke; certainly a lot more than his 17 year old self, who had been all insecurity, poison and insults.

 

"Headmistress, sorry for the delay" he said in a low voice and gave a small bow to Minerva before turning to Harry. "Potter, long time no see”, he said and made a small gesture as if to offer a handshake before changing his mind and simply nodding.

 

"Well, I haven't been invited to this meeting so I will leave you to it, but I’ll remind the both of you to try and not invoke past resentments while discussing things of the present", said Minerva with a hard, knowing look to Harry. 

 

He had come in there feeling angry and self-righteous, but both Minerva's and Malfoy's demeanors had thrown him off, so when left alone with this former rival, Harry was suddenly at a loss for words. Fortunately, Malfoy made up for it and immediately took the lead:

 

"Please, have a seat, Potter" he said while motioning an armchair, his manner polite and professional as if Harry had been any other parent. "I'm surprised you've taken this long to come to me about Albus. He has some great decisions to make after receiving the results from his N.E.W.T.s and he will need all the support he can to achieve the full potential of his talent. I've spoken to some of my colleagues in the most renowned institutions in France and Austria about taking on Albus as an apprentice and he has to start preparing applications if he intends to go to one of these places, which I highly recommend he does. He has been vague about his plans but I've stressed to him many times the importance of his taking these opportunities to the fullest. Your son is both talented and disciplined, Potter - a rare combination. He far surpasses the technical and magical skills I myself had at his age, though it's fair to say that I had other preoccupations at the time... surely, you of all people know well about them." At this point, Malfoy let out a small self-contemptuous laugh and his eyes turned sad and wistful, the first manifestation of emotion since he had started off his speech. He looked straight at Harry for the first time and his voice turned softer as he said "You have a brilliant son, Potter, I hope you do realize. I'm sure Albus has the potential of becoming a great wizard and it is important for his family to support him. It wasn't easy for me to take him under my wing at the beginning - it dug out painful memories from our common past, which I have overcome, but certainly not forgotten. But soon enough I was convinced of his sincere dedication to the subject and he has shown great improvement over the past year. I can show you some information regarding the two institutions I have in mind and…”

 

Harry decided to interrupt Malfoy right there and get back to the main subject.

 

"Malfoy, I think it's great that Albus has been doing well in your classes, but that has nothing to do with why I'm here” declared Harry, his voice rising and taking a slightly accusatory tone while he continued: “For the last two years I've seen my kid become completely infatuated with a mysterious older man whom I had thought was just an upperclassman; imagine my surprise to find out that, of all people, it was you, a forty year old man and his teacher! I’m at a complete loss to understand how this has come about - he even declares himself to be in love with you! What do you have to say about that?”

 

Harry had thought it would have been impossible for Malfoy to be any paler, but the blood completely drained from his face as he stared shellshocked at Harry, his mouth falling slightly open. Then, just as suddenly, he blushed furiously as he stammered out indignantly:

 

“What do I… I never… you are completely mistaken! How dare you! Albus is my student, my pupil, we have a teacher-student relationship! I have never once accepted any overtures or encouraged him or any of the students at Hogwarts to pursue me romantically or otherwise!”

 

“So you admit to knowing he has a massive crush on you. Are you saying that my brilliant son is completely deluded in thinking that you also care for him?” asked Harry, shrewdly. It was the part of Albus’s letter that had worried him the most.

 

Draco blanched again and dropped his shoulders, losing a bit of the indignation and assuming the posture of a man who was slightly disappointed in himself. He lowered his voice to a controlled and restrained tone: “I wouldnever say that I don’t care for him. He is smart and interesting and a very caring young man and I have enjoyed our time together very much. He has a mind beyond his years and we seem to understand each other well. But I can assure you that I have _never_ said a word or shown any behavior beyond that of a teacher to his student. On the contrary, I’ve always done my best to mask and dissimulate whatever genuine affection I feel for him. I’ll… be honest with you, Potter. It’s true that at one point your son had made it clear that hewas interested in me… romantically, so to speak. He was quite honest about it. He said, and I quote: _to be sincere and direct about one’s feelings is the best way to a person’s heart.”_

 

Malfoy’s voice grew steely as a blade as he continued: “To these feelings of his I had to respond with brutal coldness because I _knew_ how wrong it was for me to even consider the possibility of giving the boy any hope. I honestlythought his feelings had gone back to normal after that because his demeanor changed, but now you tell me that isn’t so.” With that, and finally reminding Harry of the Malfoy he used to know, he stood up and stonily glared at Harry as he finished: “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll ask McGonagall to handle all matters regarding Albus’ apprenticeship from now on and I won’t see him unaccompanied in any circumstance whatsoever. Thanks for bringing the matter to my attention, Potter, and have a good day.” He then channeled Severus Snape and turned around, his robes twisting sharply, and briskly left the room.

 

Harry stood frozen for a few minutes in McGonagall’s office before deciding to head straight back to London. On the way, he tried to process everything that had happened. Malfoy’s innocence of foul intent and actions towards Albus was clear but still, as Harry thought more deeply about what he had heard and seen, he began to feel a growing panic - it seemed that this was not a schoolboy’s crush or a silly attempt at seduction on Albus’ part, but that there was, incredibly, unbelievably, a real connection between his son and Harry’s old schoolmate. It seemed that what had actually happened was that Albus, taking Harry’s own advice to heart, had succeeded in melting the ice in Malfoy’s soul, enough for a true affection to spring and blossom.

 

There was no mystery here, no misunderstandings: everything had transpired exactly as his son had said in his letters. The only treachery here was Harry’s: he had doubted his son’s truthfulness, ignored his pleas to stay back, meddled in his affairs and unjustly accused Malfoy based on his own prejudices. 

 

He had acted contemptibly. _He had completely freaked out_.

 

He tried to imagine what would happen from now on. Malfoy would become as cold as ice to his son and refuse to meet him privately or give him any further career advice. Albus would insist to be heard and maybe corner Malfoy somewhere to make his confession and confront him on the sudden distance. Malfoy would then be sharp and unmoving in his refusal to acknowledge Albus’ feelings. And then Albus would be devastated - he would’ve had expected the rejection but not the insensitive mode of it, and would probably feel betrayed somehow. 

 

After that, it was hard to figure out what unpredictable Albus would do - maybe he would say he didn’t want to be a potions master anymore, maybe he would travel to Romania to stay with his Uncle Charlie and get away; even worse, maybe he would become someone who thought that honesty and earnestness led to rejection and unkindness. If Harry had not interfered, Malfoy would’ve probably let Albus down in a distant but gentle way, as the boy himself had already expected, but at least they would‘ve maintained their close friendship and their teacher-pupil relationship, both of which Albus had valued above everything else.

 

He waited for Ginny to arrive from the newspaper and told her everything. He had failed his son, and he feared it might be too late to make it right.

 

**3**

 

Two days after announcing his decision to confess to Professor Malfoy, Albus Severus Potter received a letter from his father. He read it three, four times before its meaning fully sunk in. Then he spent another week thinking about it. He knew he had a decision to make.

 

Finally, he decided to talk to his Potions teacher, who had been coldly avoiding him for some time now. Albus had borrowed the invisibility cloak from James when his sibling graduated from Hogwarts, and used it to enter the potions classroom in the end of the day. He waited patiently for a bunch of third-year Hufflepuffs to leave before shutting the door and making himself known. Professor Malfoy was spooked and a little angry, specially after seeing the cloak in Albus’ hands, but before he could say anything, Albus loudly declared:

 

“Professor, I’m sorry to interrupt you but this is really quick - I’m leaving for London next week and just wanted to say farewell to you.”

 

Malfoy lost a bit of the stiffness in his posture but still looked guardedly at his pupil, waiting for him to finish.

 

“I decided to go for the position in France. I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me during the past two years. It was truly wonderful to have you as a guide and a friend.”

 

At these words, Malfoy seemed to lose the defensiveness in his expression;instead it turned slightly mollified as he replied:

 

“That is very good, Albus. I’m happy you’ve decided to pursue this path seriously. You deserve it for your own efforts. I’ll be sure to let my former colleagues in Montpellier know about your arrival.”

 

“Yes, thank you so much”, Albus said as he extended his hand to be shaken, which Malfoy did. “I’m still so young, I know I need all the possible help to go as far as I need to go. My father thinks it will be good for me to see the world, experience what it has to offer. I’ll do my best. I hope I can become someone people will be accepting of.”

 

Draco understood the message, what was really being said. _I need to be accepted by my family, to make them proud; I can’t disappoint them._ And even though Draco had wished for this to happen, it still hurt him to listen to these subdued words of parting -nobody outside his own family had ever cared about him as much as the young Potter. Neither had Draco cared as much for anyone else. 

 

It felt like it was too little, too soon. No harsh words were exchanged, but more significant words were being held back. And so Draco settled for saying only this:

 

“I am proud of you, Albus. I’m sure you will be very happy.”

 

**4**

 

Professor Draco Malfoy had a headache. The fifth-year Slytherins and Gryffindors who shared his class on Wednesdays were slowly driving him out of his mind with their little fights and games. He supposed payback was indeed a little bitch.

 

He picked up a few parchments for grading and went back to his rooms, anticipating the pleasure of sitting in his parlor and enjoying some brandy in front of the fireplace. Alone.

 

Life in Hogwarts agreed with him. While being kept busy with his classes and his duties as the new head of Slytherin House, he also had his evenings and weekends fully to himself, when he could enjoy solitude and peace. He sometimes invited other professors to his rooms to talk or maybe share a meal, but these occasions were rare. He found he was content with how his life turned out to be, specially after the many disastrous decisions he and his family had made in his youth. Every three months he went to visit his mother at the Manor, though she herself didn’t spend so much time there - she preferred France. His father had long passed away and Draco held no more illusions about marrying a pureblood woman and producing an heir. His line would die with him, for better or for worse.

 

Sometimes during his quiet evenings, however, he missed having someone to share his thoughts with. He was now 44, and even if he retained the looks and vigor of a man in his early 30s, mentally he felt old, like someone who had given up on something important along the way and now had no more options except living a quiet and secluded life. He laughed bitterly at himself - he was slowly but surely turning into Snape. Minus the sneering and bullying of children, naturally. He actually enjoyed being liked by the students.

 

He got to his rooms and by the window there sat a familiar owl. It was from Albus Potter, who every six months sent in updates about his apprenticeship in Montpellier. His letters were always short but cheerful, with quirky tales about the French and their ways and often containing brilliant observations about the potions they were developing there. Although Albus knew how to brew patiently, as anyone with that particular gift had to, he said he rather preferred to experiment and develop new potions and draughts. Draco was sure he would become a household name by the age of 30, being gifted as he was - he recalled that one of Potter’s ancestors had developed Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion and had gotten filthy rich because of it. It seemed that Albus was well on his way to continue on with his great-grandfather’s ventures in potion development.

 

Draco was surprised to find a letter today, since the last one had arrived only two months prior. A small thrill came to him, for these letters always contained a small dose of the affection he had shared with his former pupil for those two short years at Hogwarts. Draco remembered them very well - at first, his surprise at finding a Potter in Slytherin House and at him being by far the most talented student in his class. Then complete disbelief as said Potter, after months of not looking him in the eye, started making all sorts of excuses to talk to Draco after classes, showering him with questions, both academic and personal. Draco tried brushing him off, but it had been impossible - the boy had been very insistent. Also, something about Albus’ being very similar, physically, to his father, while at the same time being completely different in both personality and talents, made him a curious study. 

 

After Draco decided to agree to the Headmistress’ request to give Albus advanced lessons, he had no other choice but to slowly open up to him. When he did, it was impossible not to notice that they were what one would call “kindred spirits”. Albus, little by little, tore down his defenses with determination and refreshing earnestness. Draco remembered the comments the boy used to make in their sessions:

 

“Professor, I read your paper on the use of hallucinogens found in the _salvia divinorum_ for the improvement of potions used on orphans and widowers after tragic loss. It’s absolutely brilliant! But can you explain to me how you were sure the hallucinogenic components would not provoke negative effects on the patients?” and Draco had to go and explain the whole process of his research into the traditional rituals of Mazatec shamans.

 

“Professor, how do you make your robes fold out that way when you walk? Your clothes are so classy. My mom and dad are great, but they dress like muggle peasants. What tailor do you go to?”, and Draco told him because he felt it was his duty to save at least one Potter-Weasley from the depths of sartorial hell.

 

“Professor, the girls in Ravenclaw keep bullying me, I think they’re dead jealous of me spending so much time alone with the most handsome man in the castle. Could you smile a bit at them during our next class so they’ll give me a break?” 

 

As Albus turned 17 he took on the appearance of a young man rather than a boy and his attempts at flirting got a bit more daring. A small part of Draco was somewhat flattered: he knew Albus Potter, with his talent, kindness and looks, was too good for anyone in the school, least of all vain and jaded Draco Malfoy, ex-Death Eater. But as time passed Albus became more serious about showing his affections, and Draco had to conjure all of his ruthlessness to express clearly to Albus _that_ was a road forbidden. After that, feeling his teacher’s uneasiness, the young man had gone back to his old carefree ways. Draco had then allowed at least the part of him who had a real fond pride for Albus as a student to shine discreetly through. 

 

All that came to a disastrous end, however, on the day Harry Potter had burst into Hogwarts to accuse Draco of seducing his son. It had been unbearable for Draco to be charged with such a thing when he’d tried with his whole heart and soul to block the path Albus had been so determined to forge. 

 

Things went a bit bleak after that: Albus left for his apprenticeship in France and never mentioned any feelings he might have had for Draco - his father’s displeasure had obviously had an effect on the youngster. But it was better that way - if he had said something, Draco would have been forced to turn him down cruelly and in no uncertain terms, to dispel at once Potter’s suspicions of his having done anything to encourage Albus’ infatuation. He was then relieved when Albus had gone overseas without mentioning the subject. They slowly fell back on their teacher-student dynamics through the exchange of sparse letters and managed to restore a little of their bond of fellowship without wandering down to paths where feelings were allowed to freely roam.

 

Draco stopped recalling his distant memories and finally went to get the letter from the patient owl who was still standing outside his window. However, as he opened it, he realized he did not recognize the handwriting. Although it was clearly addressed to him on the outside, on the inside there was another parchment - it read:

 

_Dear Albus,_

 

_I’m sorry, son. I’ve always tried to do right by you but after your last letter and the discovery that the mysterious older guy you were always talking about was Draco Malfoy I… freaked out. Yesterday I went to Hogwarts to confront him. After meeting him and hearing what he had to say about you I realized that I had let my prejudices against him cloud my judgement, and doubt yours. I see that he is probably a changed man who really cares for your well-being and your future; and because of me, he will probably treat you differently from now on. I ask you to forgive me - it was completely wrong of me to interfere, son. I had no right._

 

_However, your mother and I think that, despite being mature for your age, you are still too young to pursue a relationship with someone that much older than you. I believe that, even if Malfoy did feel something of that nature for you, he would never agree to enter a fully adult and responsible relationship with a 18 year old - you also seem to be aware of this. We ask you to please consider the possibility of going on your apprenticeship overseas and let time and distance show you if what you feel is real. Go on and be with people your own age, experiment, enjoy your youth as much as you can. After that, if you still feel the same, we will give you our full support to have a go at your stuck-up potions teacher. I love you. Dad_. 

 

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind him as he put down the letter: “It’s been seven months since my twenty-first birthday.” 

 

Draco turned abruptly and was shocked to see Albus Potter, much grown and improved, standing by an armchair, with the damned invisibility cloak slipping through his fingers to drop on the floor.

 

“I’ve finished my apprenticeship with flying colors. Froipeau tells me I can do whatever I want in life and I think a little shop in Hogsmeade, with a lab I can experiment on, is just the thing. I’ve enjoyed myself in France too, had a bit of fun with boys and declare myself satisfied. Also, I’ve asked all sorts of people if they thought I was particularly mature for my age and they have assured me I am - which is good, because I’ve tried so hard to become a responsible adult. I've done all I had to do. And so, finally, with all of that out of the way, I came to tell you, Professor- Draco… that I’ve been in love with you since I was 17 years old. That I think you are the most amazing person in all this world and that all I ever want is to be by your side. Do you think you could accept me?”

 

Draco felt his legs slightly tremble so he backed out to lean on the table behind him. His heart was wildly drumming inside his chest, like a steam-machine. He looked at Albus once more and no longer saw a child - he just saw an attractive young man who obviously loved him. A feeling so foreign and rare that Draco didn’t know how to respond at all.

 

It was a terrifying prospect - to get together with someone more than 20 years his junior; to meet Harry and Ginny Potter as their son’s lover; to face cynical and unfair judgement as a seducer of youngsters. 

 

But before any refusal could come through his lips, he looked into Albus’ eyes and realized he had no energy left to struggle against his former student’s unswerving determination, or to resist feelings that were made to wait four long years before being allowed to be expressed. Draco realized that he had missed Albus so terribly while they were apart and that yes, this feeling between them felt not only like kinship, admiration and mutual understanding, but also like hope, like longing, like happiness.

 

“You do understand I’m 22 years older than you, Albus?”, asked Draco helplessly, a final plea for things to remain unchanged. 

 

“Yeah, sure I do. Nobody understands it better. To me, it just means you have not only gorgeousness and smartness on your side, but also a lot of experience…” he said as he waggled his eyebrows jokingly and gave Draco an unguarded smile, a lot like his 17-year old self. He came forward a couple of paces until he was standing right in front of Draco. The brat had become taller than him, he realized.

 

“Draco…” Albus dropped his smile and looked at him with unfathomable feelings swimming in the depths of his eyes, while slowly lifting his hand and caressing Draco’s arm, full of tenderness. The feeling of electricity running through Draco’s body was shockingly new.

 

“Draco… say yes. Please?”

 

Draco looked at him and felt tired, so tired - of the dissimulation, the resisting and the denial. He wanted to let it all go. The road of acceptance suddenly felt like the only one he had left. 

 

“Yes”, he said as he dropped his body against Albus’ stronger frame and let himself be firmly embraced. It felt like coming home. “Yes, you… _force of nature_. Yes.” 

 

**5**

 

Later that evening, Harry Potter was sitting in his kitchen when he suddenly received an owl with a note from his son Albus:

 

“Dad, I need to tell you something. About that potions teacher, I still feel the same, so… I came back to Hogwarts and finally made my confession. He took it well. Your advice was great - I think time and distance made him miss me terribly and my physical training in France made me taller and stronger than him, which not only makes it obvious I’m now a full grown-up, but is also convenient for some of the more daring things I have planned for the honeymoon. Draco has no idea about this, but I’m sure I can convince him to speed things up, after all that damned waiting. I’m thinking a traditional spring wedding at Malfoy Manor - it’s a lot more stylish than the Burrow, so I hope you and mom understand. Love, Albus.”

 

Harry read the letter with a feeling of inevitability. He somehow had always known it would come to this, but at least now his son was old enough to make his own decisions and Harry finally able to - grudgingly - accept them. He turned to Ginny and said:

 

“Albus says he is marrying Malfoy in the spring. I bet he’ll make us buy our robes from that stupidly expensive tailor he goes to. Merlin, can you imagine the family dinners? I hope Lily and James remain single for the rest of their lives.”

 

 

**THE END**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta-read, sorry for any mistakes. If you like it, let me know in the comments!


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